[pianotech] upright actio height

Delwin D Fandrich del at fandrichpiano.com
Mon Nov 3 11:54:34 PST 2008


This problem is usually traceable to the technique used by Baldwin to install
their actions. The actions are installed using the top bolts and/or brackets
first. At this point the bottom bolts are not touching the brackets. The bottom
bolts are then driven up using a power driver (an impact wrench, as I recall)
until they are "tight" against the bracket. You'd have to be legally blind not
to notice the brackets bending while this is going on. At the factory the
actions are never removed again. 
 
When they are removed in the field for service the action will pop up. Throwing
off the hammer line, of course. 
 
The best way to replace the action is to lower the bottom bolts and set the
action in place. Crank the bottom bolts up until the top holes line up with
either the holes in the plate or the bracket bolts. Check the hammer line and
adjust as needed. This is a one-time event -- once you have the bottom bolts
adjusted correctly the action will go in and out easily.
 
This is a procedure I worked hard -- and unsuccessfully -- to get changed during
the nearly five years I was with the company. It was a procedure that had worked
well at one time but that was when the bottom bolts were actually adjusted by
hand to fit the brackets correctly. The impact wrenches were faster but fairly
brutal. And wildly inaccurate. I don't know if the procedure has been changed
since then.
 
Regards,
 
Del
Delwin D Fandrich
Piano Design & Manufacturing Consultant
620 South Tower Avenue
Centralia, Washington 98531  USA
Phone  360.736.7563
Cell  360.388.6525
Fax  360.736.5239
<mailto:del at fandrichpiano.com> 


  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
richard.ucci at att.net
Sent: November 02, 2008 7:00 AM
To: pianotech
Subject: upright actio height


List,
Another Baldwin console with action brackets that do not line up with bolts .
Middle brackets are too high, action is seated properly. Action was difficult to
remove , had to tap off with a hammer . I lowered the rest bolts, but whippens
are now too low, jacks too high.
 
The rest bolts can be raised from under the keybed, which I assume would bring
things back to the way they were before.
 
Would it make more sense just to bend the bracket bolts upward?
 
Thanks,
Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano 

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